Police say the truck driver faces multiple charges of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a missing Little Elm teenager.

DENTON COUNTY, Texas. A truck driver from southeast Dallas has been arrested and charged with kidnapping after detectives found the missing Little Elm teenager in the cab of his vehicle, officials said.

Richard S. Laird of San Antonio was charged with aggravated kidnapping and received nine additional warrants for child sexual abuse, the Little Elm Police Department (LEPD) said.

According to the LEPD, a 16-year-old girl went missing from her home on February 12 in the South Paloma Creek area.

Police said during an extensive search that included foot patrols, drones and tracking dogs, the dogs tracked the missing girl near her home and lost track. The LEPD said from there that detectives believed she got into the vehicle, so they issued a missing persons/endangered persons bulletin to law enforcement across the country.

Late February 13, Little Elm detectives obtained the phone number that the missing girl had been in contact with before she reportedly left her home.

Thanks to phone records, cameras and various other investigative tools, detectives said they were able to identify the suspect as Laird.

LEPD said Laird had been in contact with the teenager online before she disappeared.

On Valentine’s Day, LEPD detectives, along with the Dallas Police Department, were able to locate a semi-trailer driven by Laird in Dallas on Valentine’s Day and find the missing teenager in the cab of the truck, officials said. While authorities assisted the teenager, Laird returned to the car and was taken into custody.

Laird is currently being held at the Denton County Jail and has a $500,000 bail. He has not yet been charged.

The teenager was reunited with his family after an examination and medical examination.

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